


To Save Your Reputation

by JustSomeStranger



Category: Marvel, Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Asgard, Birth, Cissexism, Fluff and Angst, Forced adoption, Gen, Giving Birth, Labour, Loki Angst, Loki Feels, Loki-centric, Male Pregnancy, Mpreg, Odin's A+ Parenting, Odin's Bad Parenting, Odin's Parenting, Pre-Avengers (2012), Pre-Canon, Pre-Thor (2011), Pregnancy Kink, labor, sleipnir - Freeform, Ásgarðr | Asgard (realm)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-29
Updated: 2015-11-29
Packaged: 2018-05-04 00:33:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5313086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustSomeStranger/pseuds/JustSomeStranger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After discovering his youngest son was with child a second time, Odin has him hidden away out of shame and fear of scandal until he has given birth. </p>
<p>Warning: Some graphic depictions of childbirth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Save Your Reputation

Loki had been in labour for twelve hours. For him however, it felt like an eternity. For hours he would pace the length of his bedchamber with a midwife supporting him, lean on the walls and tables, or lie down on his bed clutching a pillow to his chest, all the while huffing and panting. 

Loki stopped mid pace feeling another contraction coming on. He squeezed the midwife's hand hard, gritting his teeth. The midwife gave him a few comforting words. 

"You are doing well" she would say while rubbing his back.

Loki would only moan in response. Two other midwives were coming in and out bringing in sheets, a bowl of warm water and other various things to prepare for the birth. Another midwife stood silent against the wall out of the way, not doing anything. Why she was even there Loki had no idea. They didn't talk to him, they were still servants at the end of the day and as servants, they were forbidden to speak to him unless it was absolutely necessary. 

Loki's moaning grew louder as the contractions grew even stronger and closer together. He placed a hand on his swollen belly, feeling it soften as the contraction ended. 

This was the first time he would give birth in the palace. When he'd had Sleipnir, he had gone into hiding and lived as a mare until the child had been born. When he returned, Odin had Sleipnir taken away from him and sent to the stables to be raised by one of the mares. To save his reputation, and to avoid shame and scandal being brought upon the House of Odin his father had said. Though Loki knew it was to save royal family's reputation more than anything else. His was already in tatters, there wasn't all that much to save. He was already known for being a troublemaker and for being ergi (i.e. effeminate and unmanly) for preferring to use magic in combat instead of big weapons and studying to physical activities. Having the ability to become pregnant only assured Loki that there was something different about him that set him apart from the other Æsir. So those words did nothing to ease the pain of having his child forcefully taken from him to be raised by some beast. Nor stopped him from trying to change his father's mind. But no matter how hard he had begged, pleaded, argued or tried to manipulate him, Odin had already made up his mind, and even his silver-tongue could not sway the All-Father. He found those memories painful to this day. Even more painful than the contractions currently racking his body. 

Another contraction hit Loki. He groaned and with one hand, clutched his swollen abdomen. Then he felt something inside him give way and trickle down his legs. His waters had broken. Another hour past before he found himself giving a slight push, but concealed it from the midwife. He didn't want her to know, but knew he couldn't keep it from her for long.

The All-Father had been furious when he had found out that the trickster god was with child a second time. How he'd found out Loki was not entirely sure (probably through Heimdall), but when he did, Odin had kept his youngest son hidden away within a section of the palace, temporarily stripped of most of his magic and never being allowed out, with only a few servants and his mother Frigga allowed to see him. The story Odin had made up to explain why Loki was nowhere to be seen, was that he had gone to the other side of Asgard to study. Not that many people had asked, or noticed he was even gone.

Loki suddenly cried out squeezing the midwife's hand for dear life. The contractions were now coming on more frequently and were becoming more painful. He fought the urge to push each time. Eventually however, the midwife soon grew wise to what Loki was doing.

"Come" she said softly "It is time" she started to lead the prince to his bed.

"No!" Loki resisted.

"You must!" the midwife responded more firmly, "For your child's sake you must!"

Despite Loki's protests, the midwife led the labouring prince to the bed where the other midwife had propped up pillows and laid down extra sheets. She sat Loki down on the bed with his back against the pillows. Loki panted as he felt yet another painful contraction starting. He felt a wet cloth being dabbed on his sweat sheen forehead. Loki screamed as the contraction reached it's peak. He clutched the bed sheets and gritted his teeth. His legs parted instinctively to accommodate the birth of the baby. As he was only wearing a loose green nightgown, it was easy for the third midwife to check down below to see when the child would emerge. Loki noticed the she had a look of disgust for a brief moment. Of course, he had to take on female organs if he were to birth his child. Under normal circumstances he might have found her discomfort amusing, but for once decided he didn't care. Another contraction was coming and the urge to push was starting to become too much to bear. The pressure on his spine and pelvis was already unbearable.

"When you feel ready, push as hard as you can" the midwife said.

He didn't want to. He knew what would happen to his child once it was born. But the urge was just overwhelming. Loki took a few short breaths then bore down hard, feeling something inside him move downward and put more pressure on his pelvis. He let out a shriek at the end. The second midwife wiped away the sweat on his forehead with the damp cloth.

"Tell me when you see anything!" the midwife at Loki's side barked towards the other midwife who stood at the end of the bed.

She nodded in response. Another contraction. Loki pushed again, his face contorting from the sheer agony of it all. He let out another scream. 

"Good, this is good" the midwife said to encourage him.

Loki fell back onto the pillows.

"Gods! This is torture!" he moaned.

"You are doing well, keep going" the midwife said in response for the umpteenth time. Though really, she wanted tell him that he only had himself to blame for pain he was in.

It went on like that for roughly twenty minutes. Loki's screams could be heard down several halls and servant passageways. Servants would jump in fright and drop whatever they were carrying, the guards would exchange odd glances at each other.

As Loki pushed, he felt the pressure in his pelvis build up more and more. The midwife who was at the foot of the bed started to notice a head with jet black hair start to make an appearance.

"I see something!" she exclaimed.

"What do you see?" the midwife in charge asked.

"A head!" she answered.

"Animal?"

"No, this child's no beast" she informed them.

The other two midwives seemed relieved at this news. At least this child was humanoid in shape. After more panting, Loki bore down. Thats when he felt a burning sensation, as if he was being lit on fire. He let out a bloodcurdling scream.

"I'M BURNING!" he yelled, starting to panic.

"The head is crowning" the midwife at the foot of the bed informed, placing her hands close to the baby's head ready to catch it.

"My prince" the midwife in charge turned to Loki, "You need to push the babe's head out slowly. Do you understand?"

After a few breaths, Loki quickly nodded. The god panted through his teeth. When the next contraction came, he used smaller pushes and slowly but surely, the rest of the head slipped out with a pained cry from Loki.

"The head is born!" the other midwife said.

Loki fell back onto the pillows, relieved that some of the preasure on his pelvis had been eased but terribly exhausted. The pain he was in was horrendous, but at the same time he didn't think he had any energy left to finish pushing his child out.

"Just one more" he heard the midwife say.

"I… I can't" he breathed.

"I've heard many a woman in Asgard say that over the many years that I have been a midwife" the midwife said smiling, "And I even said it myself when I had my own children. But I was told, and I always say this to someone who feels like you do now".

"… Which is?" Loki asked curiously.

"Try Loki" she answered, daring to speak to him informally, "That is all I ask of you. You are strong, and I believe in you".

Loki gazed up at her, astonished. No one, other than his mother had given him such words of encouragement. For a second she though he might cry. But he just looked at her and smiled. He looked as if he were about to say something, but his face started contorting with pain again as another contraction started.

"One last big push" the midwife said.

Loki grabbed hold of the midwife's hand and the sheets and pushed with any remaining strength he could muster. At this point, he just wanted all this to be over with and to be out of pain. He bore down harder and harder, screaming his lungs out. It seemed to go on forever but finally Loki felt the baby slip out and the pressure on his pelvis and spine go completely. One more time he fell back onto the pillows huffing and puffing from sheer exhaustion. His hair was drenched in sweat and stuck to his scalp and forehead. Then he heard it. The shrill crying of a baby. His baby. Loki felt his heart swell to burst with love and pride for this tiny life he'd brought into the world. 

Another contraction and soon the afterbirth was delivered. The umbilical cord was cut and the baby was cleaned and wrapped up in a blanket to keep him or her warm. Loki was also attended to. Making sure he hadn't torn or lost too much blood. That was when the midwife who had been standing against the wall suddenly came over. She took the child from one of the midwives and headed towards the door. Loki looked on in horror. So soon? He hadn't even had a chance to hold the child. He didn't even know the gender. He instinctively jumped out of bed and ran towards them.

"NO!" he yelled.

The baby started wailing. Crying out for its mother. But the midwife had already slipped out of the room with the baby. The heavy doors shut behind her with a soft boom then the click of a lock could be heard. Loki slammed himself into the doors, banging on them desperately.

"Guards!" he barked, "Guards, open the doors!" Nothing. He could still hear his child's cries growing fainter and fainter. "You dare defy a prince of Asgard!" he growled in frustration. He grabbed hold of the door handles, trying to open them himself. When that failed, panic began to seize him. He banged on the doors furiously, desperate to be reunited with his child. "GUARDS!" he screamed, "OPEN THE DOORS! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT PLEASE… please". And with that, Loki sunk to the floor feeling utterly devastated.

"…They cannot" he heard one of the midwives say.

Loki whipped his head round to face them. They saw he had tears streaming down his cheeks. His face full of silent rage. The midwives kept their distance.

"Why?" the hissed.

"The All-Father forbids it until you have fully recovered from the birth" another one of them answered.

"Where are they taking my child?" Loki growled.

"She will be given to a noble family" the midwife who'd been by his side throughout the labour explained. So, Loki thought, he'd had a daughter then. "They have promised to love and care for her like she were theirs". Loki cared not. That was his child, his flesh and blood. No one could love and care for that child better than he could. "No one… will know you birthed her" the midwife added.

"I trust there is a reason?" Loki asked bitterly. But he already knew what the answer would be.

"Yes" the midwife answered, "To save your reputation".


End file.
